Civil society engages with UHC2030 to help build the movement

As part of transforming IHP+ into UHC2030, CSOs are playing a critical role in building their constituency for a strong equity-focused and people-led movement for UHC.

Through a broad consultative process, CSOs have set up the Civil Society Engagement Mechanism (CSEM) of UHC2030 to represent their constituency. An interim group of CSOs with an interim secretariat will operate until December 2017 when the CSEM will become fully operational. Right now, there is a call for CSO representative nominations for UHC2030.

The CSEM wants to strengthen a broad and inclusive UHC movement, which can influence policy design and implementation and facilitate citizen-led accountability. The aim is to build strong CSO voices and contribute significantly to UHC2030, ensuring systematic attention is paid to the needs of the most marginalised and vulnerable populations so that ‘no one is left behind’.

“Through the UHC2030 CSEM, we are able to deliver stronger advocacy for UHC in Africa,” said Mr Itai Rusike, Executive Director of Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) and Coordinator of the African Platform for UHC.

The challenges that CSOs face both nationally and globally are real however.

"To make real, consistent and sustainable progress towards UHC, the global community will need to consider stronger investments in civil society and communities’ work on policy change, resource mobilization and accountability," said Rosemary Mburu of Waci Health, a regional health advocacy organisation.

here about the process of developing the CSEM here.

“Now that everything is in place, the real work starts in order to operationalise the CSEM and build the CSO constituency. We need to make sure that we are legitimate, transparent and organised so we are able to contribute. We must also play our watchdog role and keep our independence in UHC2030 advocacy and accountability,” says Bruno Rivalan, Global Health Advocates, who along with other colleagues has been overseeing the consultation process and development of the Civil Society Engagement Mechanism.